The King's Daughter
by kyesophina
Summary: I was chosen to give a Helm Hammerhand of Rohan's daughter a story... here it is.
1. Default Chapter

_this was written for a "ficathon", held among some of my fellow LOTR fans, about the daughter of Helm Hammerhand of Rohan. I had a very hard time finding inspiration for it, so conceptually there's not much depth to it, but in the spirit of Tolkien I at least tried to give her a role to play in the scheme of things with a decent adventure._

**THE KING'S DAUGHTER**The journey was unlike anything she'd yet experienced. She'd been out in the cold before, but this was a cold that could not be put into words. The wind forced its way under every layer of clothing, chilling the flesh right down to the bone. The snow reached above the knees, almost to the hips at times, blinding as it fell to the ground upon the driving wind, stinging the face and melting in the boots. Through the thick whiteness distance could not be perceived, and it mattered little whether it was night or day.  
  
Here, in the lead of the expedition, was a lady of few words, tall and fair. By her structure, sturdier and slightly broader than most women, from afar some fancied she was really a man, but the sight of her delicate skin and soft eyes would quickly put that to rest. Indeed she was of such beauty that loremasters visiting from Gondor fancied her a princess of the mighty elven race of Noldor.  
  
From Dunharrow, where she had retreated with many of her people into hiding, it was time to set forth. No men of Edoras had ever retreated in her following, not even a scout or emissary bearing news. She could only assume all had been slain or imprisoned in defense of the Royal City, including her brother, and she assumed leadership over those that remained with her.  
  
Before long Wulf had sent a small company to claim Dunharrow, shortly before the winter began, but she slew the leader at his challenge, sparking a bloody battle at the gate to the refuge. With the help of the men of the mountains and some of the young women they were able to drive off the enemy. But the winter was cruel this year – their shelter was nearly buried, their supplies were already running very low, and it was only a matter of time before Wulf, set on taking a bride of royal blood from where he sat on the throne a day's ride away, sent a larger force.  
  
The men of the mountains she had to help her were very few, for few lived in these parts, so close to the Dwimorberg, and the weaker of her people – elderly, children, and their mothers – were many. So she left the men to protect the caves, deciding to make the journey herself across the mountains, and choosing four girls to help her she plotted the shortest route that would allow her to reach the Road undetected. What help she would be able to find or how she wasn't completely sure of, and certainly any who remained in the Deep would have little to spare. But she was determined to bring aid back to the people who awaited her, somehow. Perhaps a small band of women crossing the mountains in such conditions would move some at the Burg to return with her.  
  
The path through the mountains was not a great distance, but the wrath of the Long Winter upon their journey made the trek all the more treacherous and slow-going. The hardship of it, however, she found exhilarating. Wrapped in blizzard and deafened by howling wind, one would quickly feel isolated, focusing on the dredge forward and the careful placement of steps, and she found the loneliness of it comforting somehow – certainly more comforting than the loneliness she felt when surrounded by all her kin in the halls of Meduseld. The trappings of royal life for women she often felt lacked purpose, much more so than men battling on the field or the homestead women bustling to maintain their farms. The challenge she now faced made her feel more alive, and in the excitement and danger of their cold situation, she felt deep inside her a warmth of contentment.  
  
Two weeks into the journey she noticed that some of the girls had become disheartened and were beginning to lose hope. More than one talked of wanting to turn back. She would tell them not to speak of giving up, fearing such talk would only magnify their fears, but then she began to fear also the possibility of a mutiny. The test came one day when she turned, and seeing no one behind her, paused to wait. Before long a party member emerged from the veil of fog and heavy snow, and several moments later another came. The lack of cohesion in the group distressed the princess, who now felt ashamed that as the leader she did not at that moment know where all the members of her party were. The third girl came into sight and joined the group where they stood, but after many moments the last member had not appeared. The princess grew worried, and after waiting a good while longer she resolved to turn back. Some complained that they should go on without the missing member, to which she was horrified. "Wait here a moment, if you can handle that much," she said curtly, "I will look myself."  
  
Just then the missing girl, Aldwyn was her name, emerged in the distance, proceeding very slowly, and before long it became clear she walked with a limp. She had slipped some time that morning and twisted her ankle, but was too far separated from the group to call for help, and found the strength to continue on her own. The princess rushed over, taking the girl's arm about her shoulder. When they reached the group, they were all given a warning in a stern voice. "This could have been any one of us," she said, gesturing to the girl's injured foot, "if we cannot look out for each other, then we cannot make it safely out of here - whether we turn back or continue forward." She then began doling out individual responsibilities that the entire group would be dependent upon, in hopes that the occupation would keep their minds off the bleakness of the situation, also that they take turns as crutch for Aldwyn, and she ordered that none were to stray out of sight of the rest of the group. She even went so far as to link them all by rope when they hiked, so that if one fell behind by some injury or weakness the rest would immediately know.  
  
Inside she scolded herself for becoming so wrapped up in her own experience of the adventure that she nearly forgot her purpose – to look out for her people. What did such adventures matter at all if sought in selfishness? How would it give her the sense of purpose she longed for? She had assigned the people around her duties to help her – the men guarding Dunharrow, the women she'd asked to come with her who helped carry food and supplies, and she was not now living up to her side of the trust. Her mission was to find help; happiness could wait.  
  
The new focus on teamwork did help the morale of the expedition, and indeed the hike seemed to go a bit easier thereafter. They reached the Road in another week-and-a-half. Though heartened by clearing the first hurdle, the girls were disheartened still by what lay ahead, for their supplies were running low and the road to the Deep was very long. "What if we get there, Ladyship, what then?" said one. "What help will it do? How will we bring enough supplies back over those mountains for all those people?"  
  
These were legitimate questions, and even though the princess had all sorts of what-ifs, maybes and other ideas stirring in her head, she did not for sure know the answer to any of them. "Do not ask me questions," she would reply simply. "We must first get there, and at the moment that is enough to worry about."  
  
The girls had grown much closer, and now complained less, for the princess had earned their trust with her new dedication to their well-being. She had grown quite fond of the young girl, Aldwyn, in particular, in sincere admiration of her hardiness of spirit when dealt a crippling injury in such a terrible situation. And having been rewarded for her responsibility with such camaraderie and gradual success, she had quite forgotten at this point her search for happiness – though as the leader she still allowed herself little mirth.  
  
The journey to the Deep took another three weeks. They nearly misjudged when to turn South, back into the mountains, but for one strangely fortunate day in the journey when the snow broke and the sun came out. By the calendar, spring was nearly due, though clearly it would not arrive for some months, yet.  
  
The last four days they walked hungry, for they had depleted their rations completely. But they remained in surprisingly good spirits, with the completion of the mission on their minds, and when they saw the Hornburg peaking out of the snow all doubts any might have had in their leader, including the from leader herself, melted away. 


	2. Chapter Two

**CHAPTER TWO**  
  
By the time they reached Hornburg, the girls were too relieved to complain about their hunger (besides having grown hardy enough from their adventure thus far to endure it). Some were frostbitten, some hypothermic, all were malnourished and looking nearly dead when they arrived, yet still too happy they had suffered no further loss to the group. The princess thanked them all for their endurance and hard work, and ordered them all to the infirmary.  
  
But then the blow fell upon the princess, for in the triumph they felt upon finally arriving, she was informed that Hama her younger brother had been lost in the snow some months back, word had long reached the Deep of her elder brother Haleth's death before the doors of Meduseld and nothing had been heard of her father, who'd left weeks earlier, and of whom no news had reached them since they heard his horn blow on that one morning of sun some ten days earlier.  
  
As the other girls were taken care of, the princess, sinking through depths of her heartbreak, wandered out on to the Dike. She gazed out into the cold white desert with some vain hope she might see some sign of her father, and her shame returned anew. She had been here only a few hours, and though she had not yet revealed the purpose of her journey, she was already resigning to her failure. The people here appeared to be sorely in need – they certainly could not spare enough food and supplies to sustain Dunharrow through the rest of the winter. She began to wonder if it was not truly now time to forfeit and appeal to Wulf himself for help.  
  
It was there on the Dike her cousin Frealaf found her. He implored her to come to the castle for rest and food, but she resisted. She continued to stare out over the valley for a long moment, straight and still as a solemn statue, but just as he turned to leave again she swiftly told him the sum of her story in the grim manner to which her family was wont, from the moment she left Meduseld, the situation at Dunharrow and the purpose of her journey through the mountains.  
  
He stood in amazement, understanding all too well what kind of a journey one would endure in the mountains during this kind of winter. Her brother and father had both been lost to the snow, and the fact that she and her entire party made it all the way from Dunharrow alive was beyond extraordinary to Frealaf, who himself had suffered such hardship when he made the journey to Helm's Deep in the cold and snow, after battling long in the Westfold, no less.  
  
"You are indeed your father's daughter, princess," he said at last. "If not truly a Lady of the immortal High Elves, as the lore masters say."  
  
"If that were true," she replied sadly, "I might then have had the better wisdom to remain with the people I led in Dunharrow, where I might be of some use. I cannot help them now, nor can I help anyone here. It is over." And she turned at last and walked back to the castle.  
  
Frealaf was overcome with pity over her grief, and went to bed restless, certain the princess was wrong about her failure. He wondered that she, having been so near to Edoras, had been able to avert Wulf, and he thought it a very strange twist of fate that she survived such a journey through the mountains when the Winter had already taken her brother and even her father the great Helm Hammerhand.  
  
First thing in the morning, just as dawn broke, all those in Frealaf's closest counsel were called together. He had summoned the princess, and just as the men were getting impatient, he silenced them. "Your ladyship," he began when she arrived. "You have made the long, treacherous journey here all the way from Dunharrow, seeking help you say. What now are your intentions?"  
  
She paused a moment and looked at him, wondering what now were _his_ intentions, and said, "I intend to seek out as much supplies as I can gather from those who can spare them, and prepare a return journey as soon as possible."  
  
The men looked at her questioningly, and Frealaf replied, "But for what, your highness, when you said yourself you had failed and that it was useless to continue?"  
  
"I did say so, cousin, but all there is left for me to do now is fulfill my quest and honor the trust I made with the people at Dunharrow. I shall return, whether it aids them or no."  
  
To that the men sat silent, in soft pity and grave respect. "Besides," she added, "the many in need at Dunharrow lack also protection. If I cannot find supplies I should like to at least gather a few good men to return with me, for we have few and Wulf's ambitions are limitless."  
  
At last one said, "What is it you are leading to, Marshal? Tell us already, for the winter lasts while our supplies do not."  
  
"Let us not worry for much supplies, princess," he said. "We shall assemble a company of soldiers, and you shall lead us back down the path you took. The cold is already beginning to wane, and the snow will soon be melting. The journey should be a little less hazardous. But in any case, I shall return with you to Dunharrow, and descend upon Edoras from the South."  
  
His counselors and friends broke into an uproar of debate. But the princess stood there silent, and though her face remained grim her eyes seemed to light up, for she knew there could be no better plan. "I assure you all there is no other way," he said to their questions and complaints. "We are all weak with need and soon the snow will melt, at which time Wulf will proceed to pursue his ambitions to the fullest and in the condition we all are in, Rohan will be no more. We must move now, and strike as the winter breaks. It's the only opportunity for victory we have with such meager resources."  
  
The men continued to bicker, though with less conviction. For the chance of failure was high, so thus was their anxiety over such a daring move. The princess had little doubt over the idea, yet for a long moment stood in thought. She thought of everything she had been through up to that point, back through her lonely life as a lady of the palace. In the search for purpose, few can ever see fate's intentions. She suddenly realized why she was here, and that she could bring back help to Dunharrow after all.  
  
"Silence, your graces, please," she interrupted. Their conversations halted. She faced them all, and in a firm tone her pleasantly deep voice drew out her words. "This line of Eorl has come to an end. But I say the kingdom of Rohan shall continue anew. Let us make this hour of weakness our last. This is the hour of judgment, and through it I will remain your sovereign as the last of my father's house. My order is to execute this attack on Edoras, and redeem our victory."  
  
Her resolve to follow this new course she demonstrated clearly, and they asked no more questions. She removed all doubt from their minds, and the doubt that had continued to haunt her left her, as she at last fully accepted the charge over her people that had been passed to her.

EPILOGUE

When Edoras was retaken the princess remained in power until the end of the year, when she made the decision to pass her rule to her cousin Frealaf, so as to continue the house of Eorl in Meduseld. She remained one of the king's most trusted counselors until the end of his reign. Those that remembered the actions of the Riddermark's first, last and forgotten queen remarked her a gift of the West, whose wisdom was blessed by the gods. 


End file.
